Dancing Ring
by ShadowDianne
Summary: Prompt from lesbionicwoman. As a soon to be discovered boxer Emma doesn't have time to lose, she needs to be at her top game as quick as possible. But everything comes with a price and when her beautiful instructor comes in the blonde is going to find that there are other interesting things to do in life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This comes from a prompt that lesbionicwoman asked me a few weeks back. The prompt stated that "what would happen if Emma was a professional boxer and Regina was the ballet instructor she meets while taking dance classes to sharpen her reflexes"**

** I have changed a little something but the story is almost finished and I wanted to start updating it. I know, I love slow burning and I'm deeply sorry because I imagine that the original prompt was meant to be something quick, blame my muses, but I promise you all to arrive at our m-goodness soon enough**

**Apart from that… well, I have talked with a friend of mine that is a professional ballet dancer since I wanted to be as realistic as possible, any mistake I'm the one to blame and I'm also sorry about it.**

**PS: Coffee Black News and Interview with the (Evil) Queen are going to be updated this weekend. Also I'm sorry if I haven't answered your pm, I'm having problems with those.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them or the prompt but I will be happy to play with them as much as I can ;)**

Prologue- K.O

Cold, darkness, pain. That were the three things that she felt as she heard the muffled voices at the other side of her iron prison that her car had become. She managed to smile and nod to Ruby's figure, the girl had been the one that had tried to talk her out of her stupid idea of grabbing her car in the middle of the blizzard.

But she was too stubborn and she had done it anyway and as she lay there, fear and blood trickling over her body, she thought briefly if the pain that she was feeling on her leg was going to stop.

Probably not, she mussed as the voices finally cut through the car and two strong hands grabbed her.

(Three months later)

The mat tasted like sweat and it was slightly slippery when Emma tried to stand up again as Ruby circled her.

"C'mon Em" Aurora shouted from the other part of the gym where she was doing pushups. "You almost have her"

The blonde grumbled but tried to fight the tall brunette without any results, as she managed to move her right hand her left knee failed her, her center destabilizing while she tried to regain control. It was no use and as she tried to avoid being hit she found herself looking at the mat for the third time in the past ten minutes.

She growled and kicked the air, her back resting now on the damp mat as her glove-covered hands blocked the lights from the gym.

"Don't worry" Said the soft accented voice of Ruby "You are still recovering from the accident, your body needs to rearrange itself with your mind"

Emma opened her eyes as she bit her right glove, taking it off with quick movements as another frustrated growl echoed in her chest.

"Gold is going to kill me, he doesn't care of what I can or what I can't do, he wants another trophy from me" Emma finally whispered as she took the offered hand of Ruby. "And you know the old man"

"He is going to threaten you" Admitted Ruby as both of them jumped from the ring, Emma doing it slower than her and grimacing a little as her left leg suffered another pull. "Have you go to those classes he told you?"

"Yes" Replied Emma as she drank from the bottle that she had left on her side of the gym before the sparring "But the doctor told me that it was now something that I needed to do for myself. My leg is healed but I can't do the same work since I can't move as quickly as before"

Ruby nodded and Emma glanced at her before sighing, she and Ruby had been friends since both of them had started on Gold's gym three years prior. In that time Emma was a 21 years old young girl who didn't know what to do with her life and Ruby was a 20 year old girl who wanted desperately to be able to provide for her and her girlfriend who was still on the university. They had bonded quickly and three years later the blonde felt that the lanky brunette was the only one that could read her like the books that Ruby's girl read as if they were comics.

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to recover completely Rubes" Admitted as they approached Aurora "They said that the injury was a pretty bad one so what if my career has ended now because of a stupid accident? I'm 24 years old, I need to do something and my name is barely being known!"

The last part was rushed as Emma tried to avoid showing how deeply her worry run but it was no use, Ruby saw the fear in her friend's forest green eyes and smiled contritely at her.

"We will figure something out" Replied but Emma could see the same worry on her friend's words.

Aurora, who had been listening for the past minute without saying anything, coughed and smiled at the two girls, her kind eyes jumping from Ruby to Emma as she finished with her warm-up.

"You could talk with some dancer to help you" Aurora said to the blonde as she changed her weight from her left foot to her right one "I worked with them a few years before enrolling here, they have incredibly sharp reflexes and their routines aren't too different from what we are accustomed too."

Emma made a face as she glanced at Ruby who was now eyeing Aurora as if the woman had eaten something strange.

"Aur" Started Ruby "We are talking about reflexes and strength, not about how high you can raise your leg"

Aurora was about to answer to that when a male voice interrupted her and even before Emma could turn and see the owner of the voice she could picture Gold on her mind, the old man wanted to talk with her.

"Miss Emma, I want you on my office, now. Ladies, keep with the training, Miss Aurora, I want you on the ring with Miss Ruby since Miss May is missing. And Miss Ruby, send my greetings to Miss Belle, she hadn't be in the gym from quite time now, I hope she is alright"

Ruby turned and waved at the man as she tried to conceal the rage that shone on her eyes from him. It was public knowledge that Gold preferred the young ones and he had a sweet spot on Belle, Ruby's girlfriend. Something that made the brunette's blood boil every time the man tried to talk about or with her.

"She hadn't been here since the last time you made her uncomfortable old moron" Whispered Ruby under her breath making Emma chuckle slightly at that.

"C'mon, don't kill him, you know that Belle doesn't like him and the only one who is losing something is himself" Replied Emma as Aurora nodded at their side.

"It's true, don't worry about that Ruby" Said Aurora to Ruby as she tied her chestnut colored hair into a ponytail.

Baring her teeth in what was supposed to be a smile, Ruby nodded and went to the ring as Emma approached the farthest corner of the gym, a wooden door communicating with Gold's office.

The door was always open since it was from there where Gold could see what his girls were doing. Emma had never seen the door closed in the three years she had been there and myths said that the door was only closed when the old man had important visitors that needed to discuss not so legal things with him.

As she finally entered she smiled grimly at Gold, his crinkled skin parting in the same type of smile, his eyes glimmered with their usual greediness.

Gold wasn't a very loved man, even among his friends and colleagues; a once upon time lawyer he had decided to make boxing for a living after making a considerable amount of money in the lawyer's firm that he had inherited from his father. The firm was still open and running but Gold rarely went there anymore, his life now the gym that had seen a considerable amount of boxing stars being created and fabricated by him.

He had good eye and Emma knew that when he had told her that she could train in the gym and fight in the professional ring under his name as the only recommendation she was doing the right choice. But Gold was also known because of his shady contracts and now that Emma found herself unable to fight was starting to fear that the man had decided to fire her so to speak.

"I have seen that you are having troubles against Miss Ruby" Started the man as he smoke on of his long and dark cigars, the stench of it making Emma want to gag. "As far as I can remember albeit Miss Ruby is a very famous fighter she can't do as brilliantly as you. Should I be worried?"

Emma gulped and looked at the papers that were between the long fingers of Gold, her name was in a few of them. Bets, probably.

"No Mr Gold, everything is fine" Stated and she bit her tongue when the man stood and approached her, the greediness on his eyes transforming into something closer to rage.

"Then I hope that my best fighter is up to the first encounter. I thought that you wanted to win another trophy since it would put you between the famous fighters Miss Emma" Continued the man and Emma felt a chill traveling down her spine as Gold's breath hit her face.

"I'm having a bit trouble with my reflexes but I'm working on them" Stated the blonde as she gulped, the sounds of Ruby and Aurora sparring turning weaker as Gold took another step towards her.

"I really hope so, since your contract stated that I would be your promotor as long as you can fight. I suppose I don't need you to remember what was your situation when you started here, do I?" The man sneered at her as he said those words, his yellow and tiny teeth making Emma think of shark's teeth; ready to catch and destroy whatever was thrown on their way.

"I promise you I will be ready Mr Gold" Muttered Emma, her right hand blindly reaching for the jamb of the door.

"Good, then go and practice some more."

As Emma exited the office she sighed, the talk hadn't been as terrible as she had imagined but Ruby had been right, the man had threatened her and she was in no position to defend herself.

Biting her lips she touched her left leg in which the scar was still there, tiny and less swollen than the first day she had come there after the accident but still visible.

She was the only one to blame, it had been her decision to take her car but she still felt stupid and angry at herself because she was now on that situation and every time she woke up from another nightmare as chills and needles trailed up her body she was there again, on the car, between smoke, iron and snow.

Sighing, she went to the ring where Aurora and Ruby still were and with a grimace she looked at the petite brunette.

"Aur, about the dancer training you were talking about… Do you know where I can find one?"

* * *

Regina was already approaching her car with her left shoulder aching a little under her bag's weight when she felt her telephone vibrating against her leg.

"Now what?" Thought to herself, her day hadn't been especially a good one and after the discussion that she had had with her classic dance teacher she was ready to go home and take a very long nap.

Or something equally satisfying, maybe she could call Katherine but the woman had told her in class that she and her fiancé were going to go out on a date.

Sighing, Regina toyed with the keys of her car and finally managed to open it. As soon as she was seated she picked up the phone. She didn't recognize the number so, frowning, she answered it, ready to hung it if it were a joke.

"Hello, Regina Mills speaking"

A woman's voice answered, background sounds making it a little complicated to pinpoint from where the woman was calling her.

"Hello? I'm Emma Swan, I wanted to talk to you because I heard that you can help me with my problem"

Regina stared at her phone, the woman seemed serious but the way she had spoken seemed more of a joke than anything else. Looking from her window she fixed her brown eyes in the door of the studio and waved at Tinker and Graham that were now exiting the place.

"Miss Swan, Can I ask what that problem would be and how can I help you?" Asked finally, deciding to consider the call a real one instead of a prank from someone.

"Geez, I suppose that that didn't come out right, did it?" Asked the other woman and Regina smiled a little at the sudden shyness that she could heard on her voice. "Anyway, I know you are offering to instruct people and help them with their reflexes from a ballet point of view. A friend of mine told me that I could contact you but I'm sorry if I have called the wrong number"

The brunette stared at her phone for the second time in the same amount of minutes; she didn't know who that friend could be but that Emma was certainly right. Coughing a little she felt suddenly nervous since it was the first client that had dared to call her since she posted the advertisement in the newspaper,Kathryn had told her something about putting also on the internet but she didn't know if that was actually safe so she had decided to stick with the old ways.

"Yes, sorry Miss Swan" Managed to say to her interlocutor after a few more seconds "Seems that I have bad reception here. I'm certainly free right now to help you, could I know a little more of what you want to do?"

She waited as she heard how some of the background sound at the other end of the line faded slightly, her brain already bugging her; she had heard the name of Emma Swan in another place, somewhere. She didn't remember where but she had the feel that she needed to know who that woman was.

"I have moved a little, maybe I was the one with bad reception" Cracked the phone "And well, I prefer to talk to you in person if you really don't mind, where I could go and see you?"

Regina stared at the building, Cora was already pissed with her but the terms had been crystal clear, if she wanted to be an instructor instead of a dancer she was going to do it under her conditions.

"Write down the following address Miss Swan, I will expect you tomorrow no later than four o'clock"

She heard a faint humming and then the voice of the other woman broke the silence, the sound being a little broken because of a little static.

"Ok, until tomorrow then Regina"

The brunette found herself staring at the steering wheel as Emma Swan's voice echoed in her mind, her memory bringing her the image of blonde locks and green eyes and something close to heat and music, tight body and muscles working under her hands and an honest laugh echoed in the edges of her mind like some powerful spell. Feeling drunk with those memories she exhaled as she finally drove her car outside the parking of the studio.

Maybe she had heard that name somewhere.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hello! Sorry for the wait with this one but I want to be extra sure with everything that I'm going to write regarding both the boxing world as well as the ballet one and since in this one we are going to see a little more of Regina's world I wanted to ask for a few things before proof reading it.**

**Also, some other things, I don't plan to write a lot of lexicon regarding both the boxing and the ballet but as I wrote the story some other terms slipped away. I will write what they mean at the end of each chapter. Even if I have asked a few people that are on the business I can very well have mixed information, if that's the case please tell me and I will be quick on fixing it. I sincerely have worked to not that be the case but I want to be as thoughtful as possible.**

**The other thing is more a petition than anything else; currently I'm writing another SQ-AU which is called Coffee Black News and I'm trying to find some kind of cover for it, if anyone wants to give me ideas or tell me about it my tumblr is shadowdianne and I'm open to PM's also. Thank you!**

**First position**

Emma glanced at the door of the house, the name of the studio, "Cora's", was visible on a metal sign embedded on the façade and the young woman took a quick breath before approaching the double doors.

She had been close to cancelling the appointment a few hours ago while talking with the girls after another excruciatingly painful sparring on the ring. But Aurora had been right, she needed help and since her main problem was elasticity she needed someone who knew how to work that part of hers before the big event.

Her right hand touched the door while the other one clutched her bag that was still full with her boxing equipment. She hadn't been able to go to her home after her morning routine so the bag had come with her and the weight of it was starting to bother her a litte. Her thoughts went to Regina Mills and how she would look; She hadn't tried to find her on the internet since she wasn't a stalker but years of living like she had had had made her a little bit weary of going uninformed to meetings and she was starting to feel more nervous about the fact that she didn't know the woman than the primordial reason of why she was there. Clearing her throat she pushed the wooden door firmly, deciding that it was better to finally start with what she needed.

Once in the interior of the building she almost forgot her initial nervousness as she tried not to smile; the place was just as she had thought that it would be, soft colored walls that looked between a light pink and a faded white color, a few portraits of people dancing as well as diplomas and a receptionist who looked at her slightly displeased.

"If you are here for new classes, the registration time is already closed" Muttered, the deep voice holding a strong English accent that made Emma smile a little.

"Actually" Started the blonde approaching the desk under which the older woman was comfortable seated. "I'm here to see Regina Mills; I had an appointment with her"

The older woman who was named Hilda if she could rely on the tag that hung from the woman's chest tilted her head and nodded mechanically.

"She is on the second floor, on the 18th studio, go through the right door and follow it until you reach the stairs"

Emma muttered a soft thanks and went through the door that the other woman had pointed at, her feet trying to move as faster as she could since she was already running slightly late. As she passed next to different rooms with closed doors her ears caught up notes of music and muffled voices, the sounds of people moving in the wooden parquet making her want to stop and listen.

As she was about to start climbing the stairs a male's voice made her turn, startled. The man that had called for her looked about her age, maybe a little more; he was blonde with kind eyes that didn't look as intimidating as his voice had made him sound.

"Are you late?" Asked the man once again as he crossed the corridor. Emma could actually hear how a few of the classrooms seemed to have quieted down and she suspected that they were being heard by the ones on them. "Because if that's the case I don't recommend you to go to the upper floor, Mrs. Cora is a little bit strict with punctuality."

Emma frowned but then remembered the name of the academy; the man must been referring to her.

"No, I'm not late" She answered while glancing at her watch "At least not to Cora, I'm here because I have a date with Regina Mills, Helga… told me that she was on the second floor"

The blonde man smiled before making a face. "I don't know then if it would be better to be late for Cora, Regina is also a little bit strict. Last time I saw her she was in the 18th, if you have problems finding her call for David, I will be here with the first graders"

Emma smiled at that, the man looked friendly and she was already less nervous than when she had first entered the place, nodding quickly she turned, ready to face this Regina Mills, whoever that was.

* * *

Regina was finishing with her last routine of warm up exercises when she looked at her watch for the third time in the same amounts of minutes. Emma Swan was already late.

"Maybe she doesn't even come" Thought to herself as she did another set of relevés. Looking around she glanced at the now empty studio, she worked better alone but this time the lack of sound was almost intimidating.

Sighing she changed to her right foot and started doing her exercises with it, if Emma Swan didn't want to appear that was her problem, not hers.

Regina was about to turn when she heard the door at her right side opening and closing.

"Excuse me" She heard "Is this the 18th studio? I was going to meet with Regina Mills"

Turning fully and glancing at a blonde mane and what looked forest green eyes Regina nodded stiffly, already feeling observed as Emma looked at her for a few more seconds that what would have been proper.

"I thought I asked you to be punctual, Miss Swan"

* * *

Emma gulped as she looked at the brunette beauty that was in front of her. She was smaller than her and looked slightly younger than her as well. Her eyes were a deep set of brown that matched her shoulder-length hair and as the woman talked Emma realized that she had a soft, vibrant voice.

But the words were harsh and Emma shook her head as she took in the annoyed look that Regina gave her before turning again and offering her her back.

"I'm sorry, I got caught up on the gym, I didn't know how much time was going to take me to get here. " The blonde felt herself blush and, as always, she felt naked whenever she felt questioned, blushing ever more profusely she looked at her feet and tried to not look at the back of the shorter woman. "Are you really Regina Mills?" Emma asked before she couldn't help herself.

The brunette turned once again and looked at her, making her feel as a scolded child for a second time.

"Most certainly" Replied stiffly "Is there a problem, Miss Swan?"

The blonde had many flaws and certainly Ruby didn't have a problem on telling her that, but she was good reading people and she could tell that in that question was something else than just pure annoyance. Biting her lower lip she muttered a quick "no" before actually trying to explain herself.

"I just met with some man, David and he talked about you as if you were a teacher, you seemed older over the phone and since the secretary seemed to know where you were I thought that you were… I don't know"

"A teacher here?" Regina finished with what seemed a sad smile "I guess that you weren't entirely incorrect with that. David Nolan is, in fact, the teacher of contemporary dance in here, he and I… well, we know each other so I suppose is not strange that he talked about me in such a way"

There was a story there but Emma didn't want to pry as Regina seemed to not be entirely at ease around her, coughing and also feeling quite awkward she approached the brunette and put her bag at the side of what appeared the younger woman's one.

"Well, then I apologize again for being late and having thought that you were older" She joked an she almost saw a flicker of a smile on the brunette's lips before the woman tiled her head and looked at her body much on the same fashion that Emma herself had had minutes before with her.

"You don't look like a dancer" Regina mentioned quickly as she extracted a water bottle from her now open bag.

Emma almost laughed at that but merely shook her head.

"No, I'm not; I just came here because a friend of mine, Aurora, told me what I already said to you yesterday, that you could help me"

Regina nodded distractedly as she narrowed her eyes.

"Aurora? A brunette with almost chestnut hair and a heart-shaped face?"

"Yep, that one" Answered quickly Emma as she fiddled with her fingers "I just… I wanted to listen to her, even if I don't really think that I can be helped and…"

Regina raised her right hand and coughed, making Emma realized that she had started to ramble.

"Miss Swan" Started the brunette "What if you tell me what are you doing here?"

* * *

As Emma stood in front of here as a deer caught on daylights Regina almost smiled, the woman hadn't seem to recognize her, something that she was more than happy about it. She wasn't still sure that the Emma that was in front of here was the other Emma but she almost could sworn that that had been the case and she didn't want to be known by that night.

Even if she was nervous of it she also wanted to listen to the blonde as she really didn't know what would possibly want Emma Swan for her.

Finally, the taller woman nodded to herself and stood as tall as she was (which occasioned Regina to also straighten herself as much as she could albeit she had been already standing as tall as her back allowed her)

"I'm a boxer player"

Regina nodded, most to herself than to Emma as her suspicious were confirmed.

* * *

Emma paused a little before saying anything more but the woman in front of her didn't reacted so she kept going.

"I had a pretty bad accident three months ago, maybe you remember the blizzard? Well, I got injured and since then I have… lost my flexibility" She finished with remorse, clenching her teeth "I had already been freed by the hospital and they say that what I need is to exercise but even after returning to sparring I still feel… strange. Aurora told me that it wasn't rare for fighters to ask help for the ballet people since you almost work on your reflexes and your strength from the upper to the lower body. She knew the place and… that's why I'm here"

After the long tirade Emma took a deep intake of breath, the accident was still a sore spot and even now, talking about it to a stranger, made her nervous.

Regina kept nodding for a few more seconds, as if she was thinking on her possibilities.

"So what do you expect?" The brunette asked finally while glancing at Emma's body.

Emma coughed as she fought back her instinct of covering her arms, uncovered as the tank top that she was wearing barely covered her shoulders.

"I don't know, to regain my reflexes I suppose, I need to since if I am not on my top form by the beginning of the battle term… my promotor is going to get pissed"

Regina squinted her eyes at that as she walked around Emma, making her feel even more nervous than before.

"Your promotor?"

Emma nodded and kept talking, this time crossing her arms as tight as she could as she changed her weight from one foot to another, already feeling the pull on her leg.

"Well, my promotor, coach and some like a boss, I guess, he is Mr. Gold, I don't know if you know him but he does like to win his bets so I kind of need to be as well as I can"

Regina hummed and finished her round, already looking at Emma with those deep brown eyes of hers.

"I guess we can try, but remember Miss Swan, this is a way of life for many people, you need to take it as seriously as you take your boxing career"

Emma nodded eagerly, intimidated by the fierce expression on Regina's eyes.

"I will; I'm used to work so I will be ready"

Regina merely smiled at that and Emma suddenly remembered David's kind words about that it was in fact worst to be late for Regina than for Cora.

"We will see about that Miss Swan, first thing I want to see how fast you can react to…"

* * *

Later that night Emma found herself grimacing as her leg protested slightly when she changed her position on her normal comfortable sofa.

"I tell you, Ruby, I don't know if Aurora was right about her being one of the most talented dancers that she had ever know but the woman is really strict" She complained as she watched distractedly the news over her battered TV as her friend laughed at the other side of the line. "I'm being serious here"

Ruby chuckled and Emma almost could hear the faint chuckle of what was surely Belle.

"You put me on the speaker, right?" She asked while groaning once again.

"Maybe" Ruby replied and Emma could actually hear the grin on her face "But listen, Aurora is always seeing the good on people, and I will be the first one to tell that she is always almost a little too naïve but she is a good person. If she told you that Regina is the best…"

Emma was about to mock Ruby's use of naïve when she heard Belle's telling the lanky brunette that so she merely chuckled when she heard the faint growl of her friend directed to Belle and merely answered to Ruby's words.

"I know, and she seemed ok, until she decided to kill me of course, I won't feel my leg tomorrow"

Ruby hissed compassionately at that, both of them knew that Emma was actually to go to the gym tomorrow since the blonde was as stubborn as she came.

"Well, tomorrow I will take easy on you. She was good then?"

Emma nodded at that, too caught up on the news for a moment. "Yes, sorry, she was good albeit I didn't start well since I got there late and everything. And Rubes, she is younger than us"

The brunette at the other side of the line coughed before replying, Emma already thinking on changing channels as the news were almost finished by now.

"Younger?"

"Yes, well, about three years or something like that, she looked like she had 21, 22 tops, that's why I made another mistake since I was expecting someone older, a teacher, but she wasn't older than Aur" Emma explained, rubbing her sore leg as she decided to see a movie instead of more news, the pain was going to make her night long and she always felt sleepy with a film rather than with anything else.

"Well, she can be some sort of genius dancer, or, you know, look younger but actually be older than both of us, is not like you and I are old" Complained Ruby at the other side and Emma heard another chuckled from Belle, making her smile as she pictured how Belle was probably mocking at Ruby as she glanced at her friend over some new book.

"Yes, I suppose that it can be that. I don't know, she wanted to meet us tomorrow at four o'clock so we will see if it's the first or the second one"

Ruby sighed at that and Emma smirked, already predicting that she was going to be lectured by her friend.

"Emma, try not to fuck up what is going to be a help for you"

The blonde raised her free hand as she tried to defend her innocence, but she knew herself too well. And Ruby also knew her.

"I won't, I promise, she seemed to be a nice girl and, besides, we barely knew each other. But she is cute and I have eyes, you know?"

Ruby groaned and Emma suspected that that sound was more about Belle's doings than herself.

"I guess it's a good night for you then, Rubes, tell Belle that I said hello, have a good night"

Ruby barely had time to mutter a quick good night followed by a last minute recommendation before the line went there.

"Well, let's see what I can see…" Thought Emma as she moved touched the scar over her sweatpants.

* * *

At the other side of the city Regina was about to go to bed, too tired to even eat enough. She had had a long day and after talking with Kathryn over the phone for the last hour she was ready to hit the bed.

Her friend had told her that maybe she was mistaken; it had been years, she couldn't be sure if that Emma was the other Emma but she was almost sure that that blonde woman was "her" Emma.

And, besides, she thought as a quickly smile appeared on her lips as she finally closed her eyes, the woman had been quite fun to see. If it wasn't because of Cora everything would have been perfect.

**A/N Yup, I know I cut the class short but I promise all of you to write more about them as the chapters go by, this one was more an introduction of both Emma and Regina being… them.(And not killing each other)**

**Ah, also I'm still unsure of the length of the chapters so if you would tell me how long would you prefer to have them I will be happy to try to comply (although the longer the chapter the longer the wait :P)**

**Réleve : In this case is used as a warm –up exercise, the normal position of a réleve is raising the foot until it reaches a demi-point position and it helps to the calves as they held the upper body as far as the position is kept. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hi all! Ok, in this chapter we are going to see a little more about Regina and the people that are around her as well as the studio and what it's her exact place in there. If anyone are having doubts about what else both Emma and Regina do outside the gym and the studio it's going to be answered in the next two chapters but I wanted first to explain a little how their worlds are conformed.**

**Also, to the ones that may have doubts Regina has already met Emma although the blonde doesn't seem to remember her, that's what Regina was talking about with Kathryn in the previous chapter (I was asked by it and I wanted to be sure that I had made that clear) and that's why she talked about Emma as "her" Emma, I will answer that in this chapter and it will be addressed later on the story.**

**And…. Mmmh… I think that's it! I want to know your opinions at the end of this and if you all have some kind of doubt or simply want to talk my tumblr is always open! **

**Blow**

Regina was about to exit the studio when David's voice stopped her, Kathryn and Tinker looking behind them as she was dragged inside by the young teacher.

"Regina" Said the man again with a gentle smile playing on his lips albeit his eyes shone the nervousness that were always there when he talked with the brunette dancer "I wanted to ask you earlier but I forgot to do it before starting the class, did the blonde woman found you? I saw her yesterday going to the studio and she told me that she had an appointment with you."

Regina groaned inwardly, knowing that both Kathryn and Tinker were already eavesdropping the conversation and that she was going to be asked about it. At least by Tinker.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Nolan" Regina replied sweetly, not bothering to hide the disgust from her eyes as she turned quickly and left David behind.

She knew that her problem with the young teacher was something completely irrational but she didn't like the sweet and smiling man since she had met his twin brother: James and given the slight fear that she caused on the normally happy man she almost preferred to keep everything that way.

"So" Tinker said once she had closed the door and had started walking towards the lower floor in which they were going to have their next class. "There is something I would need to know here or…"

Regina rolled her eyes at her blonde friend, the pixie-like features and the permanent smirk giving Tinker the appearance of an elf, or an equal annoying creature that liked too much to make fun of her friends. She would never understand how Tinker seemed to be the best friend of the only boy on their class; the always dreaming Graham who was now nowhere to be seen but Regina suspected was about to finish the cigarette that he always lit up once they were dismissed.

"It's nothing" Regina finally said as Kathrin snickered at her side "I got a call two days ago, asking if I was interested in giving classes, I say yes and this woman showed up, Nolan was there and helped her to find the studio in which I was and he wanted to know if she had found me"

"You are forgetting to tell Tink that you think that this woman was The Emma herself" Finished Kathryn with her smirk widening as Regina blushed wildly.

The other blonde waved distractedly to a few younger dancers and narrowed her eyes trying to remember why that named sounded familiar.

"You are talking about the woman that you met on that bar? But that was ages ago!" Exclaimed Tinker as they finally managed to arrive to the lower floor and Regina fought the need to smack Kathryin's head as the three of them entered in the studio, Mary Margaret and Graham already there as well as a serious looking Cora.

"The Queen is furious, better if I go to the back, until later!" Tinker whispered as she approached Graham while Cora slowly raised her left hand and pointed at the big clock that dominated the room.

"I hope that everything is ok, Miss Mills, Miss Midas" The old woman said through a fake smile that made Regina tremble slightly, the older woman had always that effect on her "You were late to my class, I certainly expect better for the students of my last year, specially you, Regina"

Regina nodded mechanically and muttered a quick apology just as Kathryn and walked towards her usual place.

"Then, if everyone is finally where they need to be…" Cora started and Regina quickly found herself dancing mechanically with the music that she had already listened hundreds and hundreds of times.

Trying to forget about Emma she fought a sigh that threatened to escape her open lips as Cora quickly readjusted their positions.

It hadn't always been like that, she had enjoyed the ballet and that had been the reason behind her early debut on a few plays when she had been 16, her family as proud ever. But as the plays passed by she had started to feel that she was being left behind by the others and, always the self-conscious one, she had decided to return to a studio and become the best dancer that she could ever be.

Her family didn't have understood her and now their relationship was running as thinner as ever. Regina knew what they wanted but she couldn't longer provide that and that had been the reason behind her decision of becoming a ballet teacher instead of a Dancer.

The other problem was that her teacher was Cora herself, one of the best ballet dancers until she had suffered an accident on stage, years ago. And the woman was adamant that Regina was the one good enough to replace her.

What brought her back to Emma Swan, Regina thought as she did a pirouette just after Mary Margaret's entrance at the beginning of the final piece of the song, the woman had been the first one to actually contact her and even the blonde left her uncomfortable she was the one that could make her believe again that she was good enough to teach ballet. Even if she was a boxing player.

Clenching her teeth Regina landed on her spot and closed her eyes as she heard the low groan that Tinker did at the back of the class, the blonde woman was excellent with the contemporary dance but the more classical version of it escaped her fingers, no matter how many times she tried to do it as perfectly as Cora wanted.

"Lily" Cora called to Tinker "I hope that what I saw was because of some strange reflection on the mirror, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am" Muttered the blonde while looking at her feet.

Regina shook her head and tried to dance as best a she could for the rest of the hour, her father's disappointed face and Emma's words fading as she landed on her feet perfectly once again.

* * *

Emma coughed as she saw how May and Aurora sparred, she had fell asleep on the couch and the coldness of her tiny apartment had been what had made her open her eyes at five o'clock in the morning.

"Not a cold please" muttered to herself as Ruby entered the gym, the brunette woman made a mocking salute as she approached the blonde, her eyes going to the sparring ring in where May was already letting Aurora win… again.

"Someday she is going to notice it" Commented Ruby as she pointed at the Asiatic woman who was smiling softly at Aurora.

Emma nodded as May, or Mulan as how she preferred to be addressed, replied to whatever the sweet woman with a short sentence.

"Who knows, maybe M finally decides that it's time to actually be sincere with Aur and then…"

Ruby was already shaking her head and Emma took her water bottle with a pensive nod; Mulan would never tell Aurora what she felt about her.

"Anyway" Resumed Ruby as she put her sweatshirt over her head and folded it over her red bag "How is your leg today?"

"It hurts" Emma confirmed "But I hope to feel better today, Regina said something about starting with putting my muscles back in shape today so who knows"

"So Regina finally met with you?" Said Aurora at their backs and Emma nodded reluctantly at the younger woman while both her and Mulan approached them.

"Yes, you were right, she is tough" Emma replied with a small smile playing on her lips for a second, action that made Ruby groan and roll her eyes at her friend.

"Yes, she is, I remember that she was incredible, I didn't have my ballet classes with her since I was a new student but many of the girls watched her whenever they could"

"And you?" Ruby asked while eyeing Mulan with a little smirk, the Asiatic woman fixing the shoelaces of her trainers as if the conversation bored her.

"Well, she was amazing, and really young, I was 19 then since I started here shortly before my 20th birthday so she was around that age also" Aurora's word confirmed what Emma had suspected, Regina was younger than her but judging by the slightly hard tone and poised words it seemed to be way older than her or Mulan, the oldest of their team.

"Today I have another class with her, I hope to start doing something with my leg because Gold was getting impatient yesterday and I don't want to know what I'm going to do if I don't start winning something, even the sparring"

"I could…" Ruby started but Emma raised one hand, shutting her gently but firmly, they had already talked about it and the blonde didn't accept the possibility of cheating.

"Well, then it's better if you start now, Gold is coming and doesn't look very happy" Mulan whispered through half closed lips, her black eyes focusing on what both Ruby and Emma could imagine was the figure of Gold approaching them from behind.

"Ok then, and later you need to tell us about why you didn't come two days ago, Gold seemed ready to flip" Emma joked as she moved towards the ring, her thigh protesting when she raised her leg but she kept her face as Gold instructed both Ruby and she about what he expected to see in the first fight of the season.

* * *

"Keep the position" Instructed Regina with a calm voice as she walked around the panting blonde.

They were doing a few more "warm-ups" as Regina had said once Emma had entered the same studio but as the muscles on her thighs and calves protested Emma started to think that what Regina had actually meant was something closer to "Hell"

The name of the position escaped her, but as she tried to keep her back bent it and her feet aligned she could feel Regina's body heat somewhere at her back.

"Keep the position" Regina repeated with the same voice, her body close to Emma as she checked how the muscles of the blonde's legs moved under the tight clothes that the woman had brought with her this time.

Emma's body was gorgeous and even if Regina was aware that she needed to be as professional as she needed to be she couldn't make herself forgot the blonde's body, the pale skin showing the muscles and strength that the woman was used to use in the ring on a regular basis, the strong, defined arms stretched along her body as the boxer tried to maintain the position just a few more seconds, the long legs slightly quivering but keeping their place as the powerful back was turned at her, the cords of Emma's strong neck visible through the tight tank top that the woman seemed to use whenever they came to the studio.

Coughing Regina took a step back, angry with herself for letting her body take over her usual collected thoughts and demeanor.

"Now I want you to straighten yourself and keep your neck aligned with your back, act as if you were being held by a thread attached to your head" Muttered the brunette, repeating what she had been taught when she had been a child.

Emma groaned, her left her trembling as she started to feel the familiar excruciating pain traveling up her body. She couldn't stop the fall and she found herself against the warm wood that covered the floor of the studio, a very worried Regina kneeled in at her side.

"Miss Swan!"

* * *

Regina felt a sudden pull of guilt when Emma started falling at the middle of compelling her last request, she almost could see the way a muscle on her left covered thigh failed, the movement causing a grimace as pain crossed Emma's face, beads of sweat forming on the blonde's forehead as her entire body fell with a thud.

"Miss Swan, can you hear me?" She repeated, trying to make Emma's unfocused eyes look at something, the pale lips of the blonde parted as she swallowed, the ball of guilt never leaving Regina's body. She should have asked Emma to show her the scar, or at least ask about it much deeply that the poor excuses of questions that she had come across the previous day. As much as the woman made her feel uneasy she was a client, one that had confided in her. And she could be many things but as her father's daughter she would never be less than the best.

"Miss Swan" Said gentler this time "Breathe, just breathe, focus on that, are you ok?"

* * *

Emma nodded and finally seated herself, wincing slightly at the slight but powerful pain that crossed her entire leg, the scar beneath her clothes burning angrily.

"It had been a while since it hurt this much" Emma whispered, gently touching the wound over her clothes, sweat still covering her face.

Regina hummed quietly, making Emma look at her and, for a second, the blonde felt as if the woman before her was someone familiar, someone that she had already met before.

That feeling, though, didn't last long and Regina quickly rose from the floor, her right hand touching the barre as her poise returned to be as perfect as ever as Emma struggled a little while straightening herself.

"It was my fault, Miss Swan" Explained Regina as Emma finally managed to stand in almost the same fashion as the brunette "I thought that the information I had about your wound was going to be enough but it seems that I have overexercised your muscle. I would like to try another thing"

Emma narrowed her eyes as Regina's dark skin seemed to blush for a second but she decided to put that under "the pain is making me see things" sign.

"I suppose but… can we meet tomorrow? I don't know if I am going to be able to do anything more today"

"Of course" Regina answered as she turned and picked up her bag "Would you need help with the stairs?"

"No" Emma replied, knowing by the startled look and posterior hurt expression of the other woman that she had been way too loud on her response "I will be fine, but thanks" Continued, trying to amend the first impression that her wording may have caused to Regina.

"Very well then, until tomorrow Miss Swan"

And with that Regina was gone; leaving Emma behind with a dull ache on her left leg as she finally started gathering her own belongings.

**A/N Sorry for the short chapter, I intended to write more but I'm going to have a lot work to do the next week and I wanted to update the story before making all of us wait more. I have what I wanted to write after this mostly thought and written and it's going to have a lot of both boxing and ballet lingo so I hope to have managed to get it right. Anyway, tell me what you thought and I hope to update this with a longer chapter as fast as I can!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Hi there, first of all I'm not a doctor and certainly this part can be a little fuzzy. I have asked a few people before actually writing this chapter and the dancers and physiotherapists all concur that it's possible what I planned for Emma. As I want to be in the safe side of the road I won't make this (Since I already the story didn't exactly involve medic terms) a fic in which it's explained every part of Emma's rehab but only the dancer moves that she learns to make her better and heal faster. As I wrote in the first chapters all came because Emma is still struggling with the accident and that will later been explained.**

**Second of all I'm sorry for the long hiatus, it had been quite a complicated weeks but I hope to have actually left that in the past. Hello to all of you once again!**

Allongé

_Three years ago_

_The bar was packed; dozens and dozens of bodies moved against each other and made the path between the door and the counter something almost impossible to cross. At least for Regina who clenched her teeth and snarled at the few men that tried to touch her while she moved through the mass, her height making difficult for her to actually spot the group of people that she had actually came to see._

_Finally her right hand touched the wooden counter and she stood there for a second, muttering to the waiter the first drink that she could think off. She had never been a drinker and so when she took the first ship of her glass she coughed, the alcohol in it much stronger that what she had think it would have._

_"You are finally here" Lily, or Tinker as she had presented herself earlier that week said at her right and Regina smiled softly at the blonde woman, relieved to have found someone that she knew instead of being alone._

_"Sorry, I didn't know exactly where this was" Regina's apology was more a polite thing that anything since she could have been on time if she had exited her home earlier. But that was something that neither Lily nor any other from the group needed to know._

_"Don't worry, MM had just arrived, Kathryin and her are trying to be noticed by David" Tinker's soft laugh made Regina smile shyly on her own as she finally spotted the little group at the farthest part of the bar in which the sound and music was slightly more bearable._

_"I see" Regina's reply was lost between two more men arriving at the counter and asking for another round, the two women scurried between them in the direction of their friends and even if Regina was still feeling a little bit dispirited she smiled at Kathryin, the other blonde of the group that was currently smiling at David, one of the oldest in Cora's and their waiter._

_"Regina, finally, I was starting to think that you weren't going to come" Kathryn's words were a little bit slurred but the strong hug that the woman gave her was real and Regina let herself enjoy the embrace for a second as she waved at both Mary Margaret and Graham, the second one drinking from his beer and the first one looking at the young soon-to-be-professor as she sighed quietly to herself._

_"I don't know what do you see in him" Regina commented as she took another sip from her drink, this time she managed to drink it without coughing and she smiled to herself, secretly relieved that she hadn't made a fool of herself with the ones that were going to be her peers from now on._

_"Not everyone can have a sweetheart like you" Mary Margaret said and Regina swallowed, hot rage suddenly filling her as Daniel's face appeared in her mind for a second._

_Regina's hands trembled when she put the drink down and the sudden reaction made both Tinker and Kathryn look at her with concerned faces, not Mary Margaret who, finally, stood up and went directly in David's reaction._

_"You ok?" Kathryin asked and even if Regina had known her for only a few days she smiled warmly at her before nodding slowly._

_"Yes"_

_And that was it, Mary Margaret returned with David's number and Daniel's memory was dulled because of the alcohol fueling her veins. After a few more drinks it was Regina herself who stood up and went to the middle of the counter, already signaling at one of the waiters that she wanted four more drinks since Graham had long gone to his house, the broody man only waving at Tinker as he stood and left. As the waiter nodded she turned and caught a woman looking at her from the opposite side of where she had been sitting._

_She smiled politely at the blonde while the woman's eyes shimmered for a second before turning and answering to something that one of her friends had said. When Regina thanked to the waiter and started maneuvering to return to her seat she caught the woman once again and both of them shared a look, the music of the place too loud for Regina to actually heard what the brunette woman at the blonde's side said to her but considering the little smile that now played on the blonde's lips it must have been something funny._

_"Earth calling Regina" Tinker said jokingly when Regina merely seated and passed the drinks to the other three. The brunette merely nodded as she kept looking at the blonde woman who looked a few years older than the rest of them._

_Regina yelped in surprise when Kathryin pinched her but as soon as she found her two new friends smiling knowingly at her she blushed profusely._

_"What?"_

_"If you look at her one more time like that I won't be surprised if we need to call the firefighters" Tinker replied teasingly and even if Regina knew that the comment was in part a way to make her forget Mary Margaret earlier words she blushed slightly because she knew that Tinker was partially right._

_"Very funny" Regina muttered as she eyed the blonde woman once again appreciatively. She looked taller than her and definitely more muscled even if the dancing had left her quite in shape. Judging by how much she could discern under the changing lights of the pub the blonde looked fair skinned and her eyes were framed by what appeared to be thick eyelashes. She was definitely a beautiful woman and even after everything that had happened with Daniel Regina gulped, angry at herself for looking at someone like she was doing with the woman._

_Her thoughts were cut short when Kathryin interrupted her bickering with Mary Margaret only to shot her a warning look; the blonde had stood up and was walking towards them._

_"Hi" She said once she had crossed the mass of people, her long legs permitting her doing it in lesser time than Regina's_

Regina opened her eyes when the alarm of the clock went off. Groaning she rubbed her eyes and yawned, thanking the device silently when the first scattered memories of the dream started filling her mind.

"This is why I don't drink" She thought to herself as she recalled the bottle of wine that she and Kathryin had drank last night as her friend told her about her doubts on following her dancing career, the talk had morphed into a really long night and the only thing Regina could recall was Kathryin leaving shyly next to three o clock.

The fatigue and her guilt for causing Emma pain the day before had done the rest apparently and as she recalled the events of how they had first met she went to her bathroom and opened her shower. She needed to clear her thoughts as much as possible for today's lessons.

"You are not being fair" An intern voice muttered while she was already spreading body soap through her legs and deep down she knew that her conscience was right. Emma hadn't really done anything that night; she had been the one who had asked for her name, who had listened to her, the only cause because she was flustered by her was because of…

Regina blinked; it had been a long time since she had last thought about the young pianist and as she started to put shampoo on her curls she shook her head, trying to keep the image of Daniel as trapped inside of her as she could.

"I'm going to be fair with her" She promised under the steaming water. And the first thing she needed to do was to see if she could really do something with Emma's injuries.

* * *

Emma was just about to finish her shift in Granny's when Ruby exited the room in where the girls changed before starting to work.

"Aurora called you" The lanky brunette muttered as Emma finally entered the room, Ruby leaving it partially open as the blonde went to pick up her things "I heard the cell when I entered, she must be worried about you"

Emma frowned at that but she didn't say anything until both Ruby and her had said goodbye to Ruby's grandma, the old woman already barking to the two girls that had just entered for their shifts.

Limping a little Emma approached her car and extracted her gym bag from it as Ruby kept walking towards her own car. Emma's leg had been sore since yesterday but the dull ache had somewhat calmed that morning.

"Why? You told her about this?" Emma asked while turning to see Ruby, her friend texting quickly something into her phone before approaching her.

"Yes, when you told me what happened I worried, I suppose Aur wanted to know if you are feeling better"

Groaning to herself Emma started to walk with Ruby casting slightly worried glances at her friend.

Ruby was loyal; if she needed to say something about herself she would go by that description. And when Emma had called her and told her about the accident she had been furious with the ballet instructor that had caused such pain. It hadn't been until later that Emma had finally explained everything and had asked to Ruby to see and accept that her new exercise was going to cause Emma pain for the best. Even then Ruby still had her doubts and so she had talked with Aurora after talking with Belle about her opinion. Aurora had in fact reacted as worried as Ruby had and the tall brunette had made the younger woman promise to talk with Emma as soon as she could.

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted by Emma's voice, her friend still limping from time to time but looking far better than the night before.

"Aur? Ruby had told me that you have called me… everything all right?" Ruby smiled a little as Emma nodded to herself at something that Aurora had just said over the phone "Yes, I'm well, yesterday was a bit tough but everything is fine…. No, Regina actually helped me, she didn't make me do anything that I didn't think I could do, you know me… ok, thanks for calling me. Are you going to go with us to the Wooden Ship later? Yes? Perfect, Ruby and I are going now to Gold's see you there"

"Will you be ok after the gym and Regina's class to actually go there later?" Ruby asked, slightly concerned once Emma hung up with Aurora.

"Yes, Regina told me that we were going to see better ways to treat the wound so don't worry"

Ruby sighed as her friend kept walking towards Gold's gym once again, she could be loyal but Emma Swan was definitely stubborn.

* * *

"Tell me where it hurts" Regina instructed as she touched Emma's leg as lightly as she could.

The blonde woman had arrived on time and the proud smile that she gave to Regina had left the woman slightly flustered. She had decided to be fair with Emma so Regina had focused on her plan to actually help the blonde instead of letting her own emotions show. And even after her inner monologue she was still touching Emma and trying not to blush while the other woman moved her leg accordingly with her instructions.

She had asked Emma to show her where the pain started and after a few more warm ups Regina had managed to imagine quite vividly that Emma felt pain whenever the muscle needed to add more pressure in that zone. Like a permanent cramp that broke every time Emma forced the muscle.

Her hand lingered on Emma's leg and she could have sworn that the woman had suddenly stilled but when she looked up trying to find any signs of pain the blonde smiled and nodded, signaling that everything was ok.

Meanwhile Emma was trying hard not to react at Regina's touch, fortunately the woman had voiced that she was going to touch her so she had time to actually prepare herself, But after a few minutes the way Regina's body irradiated warmth was starting to make her feel tight and slightly uncomfortable. Sighing Emma stilled when Regina's hand brushed against one of weak spots in the inside part of her thigh and she almost managed to make a smile before blushing profusely when Regina straightened and nodded to herself, the woman too invested on Emma's leg that she didn't seem to see the blush that covered every inch of the blonde's cheeks.

"Ok, now I want you to do this as well as you can" Regina said while walking towards the barre and performing an arabesque. Her body stilled and while Emma blinked and tried to make the blush on her cheeks disappear she tried to grasp every movement that the woman was doing. Her eyes went directly to Regina's curve and Emma coughed, angry at herself when Regina turned and looked at her, her body keeping the position for a few more seconds.

"I don't think I could do that" She murmured embarrassed after Regina returned to her side. The brunette's cheeks looked slightly reddish but due to the brunette's woman golden skin Emma thought that she had probably imagined it.

"It's quite simple, I only want to see how much you can stretch the muscle in that way, once I know in which direction your leg fails I will be able to tell you what I can do for you." Regina's voice was gentler than the first two classes and Emma nodded, trying to not appear as nervous as she looked as she approached the bar and tried to mimic Regina's posture.

"You need to look ahead, and bend a little" Regina recommended "This way your body will be balanced when you raise your leg, first rose it in next to your body and the throw it at your back"

Emma took a gulp of air as she did as the brunette instructed, she was very much in shape but lately she had started to see exactly how much strength the ballet dancers needed and she was starting to feel uneasy every time she couldn't keep up with the brunette.

"I'm not exactly a dancer here" The blonde joked, trying to not appear as uncomfortable as she was. For the second time she mimicked the movement that Regina had mastered but her leg protested, and she sighed, trying to rose it once again.

She was so invested in what movement needed to do that she didn't look at the mirror that was right in front of her and she didn't see how Regina approached her, the brunette's touch caught her completely unguarded and her body went from still to rigid as the younger woman's hands guided her leg until Emma was doing the best version of the position that she could. Emma gulped when Regina's hands grazed her muscle and inner thighs for a second but the feeling was gone sooner that what she would have wanted and soon she was again standing in her two legs with Regina's turning quickly and drinking from her bottle while nodding to herself.

"I think we are going to stick with warm ups that involve both of your legs in that way, later I will do some work with your upper body to help you balance your body if you feel the pain again" The brunette said, still avoiding Emma's gaze.

"Thank you" Emma said, her cheeks and body feeling warm as she gulped big chunks of air. Regina looked at her before a couple of seconds and even with her darker complexion Emma could distinguish the slightly blush that adorned her cheeks.

Swallowing back her own nervousness Emma hummed when Regina instructed her with some basic movements in both legs, the ache that had been in her upper left leg since that morning started to disappear after a few more minutes. And while Regina kept instructing her the woman never moved closer to her.

"She is my instructor" The blonde remained herself while Regina explained to her a few other movements that she could try. Despite of Regina being younger than her they weren't friends and the brunette didn't know her, asking her on a date wouldn't be fair for neither of them and Emma was starting to feel at the other side of the proverbial tunnel after weeks of pain.

And so, when Regina said that their time was over Emma smiled at her and turned, readying herself to go to Ruby's house in which she was going to have dinner before going out.

"Until tomorrow then, Miss Swan" Regina said as Emma exited the studio and if Emma would have turned at that moment she would have caught Regina staring at her.

But she didn't.

* * *

Regina sighed; relieved to actually have finished with Emma Swan, even if the woman wasn't really doing anything to her Regina blamed her lack of auto control because of her earlier slip when she had touched the blonde's leg. Twice.

"That was hardly appropriate" She thought with rage as she finished putting everything in the studio where it belonged. "And you would know better"

It seemed that she didn't, at least Emma hadn't say anything about it and she didn't look disturbed when Regina had finally looked at her after her "groping" but that didn't mollified Regina's hot cheeks and embarrassed feelings.

"Where is Kathryin when you need her" She thought as she finally closed the door, Emma long gone by now.

**Notes: (1) Allongé is a term in ballet in which a part of the body is stretched to the maximum**

** (2) Arabesque: While Regina explained it as best as I could the arabesque is a position in which the person pose in only one leg as the other is extended to the back of said person. While Regina didn't explain it there are a few forms in which the arabesque is performed but I'm going with the softest pose since Emma is not a dancer and she is doing this because she needs to help her muscle "reconnect" with her as Ruby said in the first chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Ugh, sorry for the long wait, real life started to meddle and between my other fics and everything I almost forgot how I was going to plan to write the ending of this chapter. Anyway, since now I'm going to have more free time and my other multichaptered fics are finally done I'm going to be able to write for this idea more often; something that I really like because it's one of my favorites.**

**Also, if anyone is a rizzles fan I have started a short story called "Hidden Truths" in case anyone is interested to look at it ;)**

**Enough of me, on with the story!**

**Slip**

Emma smiled quickly at Aurora when she arrived; at her side Ruby jerked her hand while downing another shot with troubled eyes making Aurora frown and point at her as she looked at Emma's eyes searching for an answer.

The blonde shrugged and shook her head; she had arrived to the woman's house an hour before and found her and Belle looking at each other glacially, it hadn't matter that Emma had tried to make Ruby reasong; the lanky brunette had been adamant on going out even if Belle and her were having a fight and so she had found herself in the bar with Belle at her phone while Ruby tried to drank her weight in shots.

"Don't ask" She finally said while standing "Take care of her for a second while I go to buy something for me, what do you want?"

After Aurora voiced her request she turned and approached the packed counter while thinking on her friend and the wary look Ruby had sported ever since they had left her home. Emma knew that Ruby and Belle rarely got into any fight but it seemed that this one was a pretty big one and even if Belle hadn't told her anything over the phone it looked like Ruby was going to have a rough night.

Sighing and still worried about her friend she finally arrived at the counter and looked around trying to found some of the waiters free enough to ask for two more beers. Fortunately one blonde guy was already finishing attending two girls so she waited until the waiter was done and approached her, the guy's profile obscured by the low lights of the place.

"Ei" She said wanting to drag the man's attention and when the waiter finally turned to face her she found herself looking at the man who had help her find Regina's class.

"Oh, I know you" David, if Emma remembered correctly, said while smiling "I see that you managed to survive Regina's wrath"

Emma blushed as she thought on the class she had had with the woman a few hours before.

"Yes, here I am" She replied while swallowing "She isn't as bad as I thought"

David laughed and shrugged at the other side of the counter.

"Then you had been blessed with the woman's good side. I'm her teacher in one of her classes and she can be quite difficult"

"Yes, maybe I've been lucky" Emma replied a little bothered of how the man in front of her could talk about Regina like that with a stranger "Or maybe she isn't as bad as you think she is"

Her voice had sounded harsher that she had thought and when David looked at her surprised she smiled apologetically before asking for the beers she had come from, the man nodded and turned for a second grabbing two bottled and placing them in front of Emma who had already the money ready.

"I guess you are right" David finally said while taking the money and Emma found herself walking back to the little table Ruby and her had managed to take before the place had been crowded.

Sighing she shook her head, trying not to think on Regina or how the man's behavior had made her angry, she didn't know the brunette dancer enough to behave like she had just had but something in the man's words had made her blood boil.

"There you are" Aurora said interrupting her thoughts "I was starting to worry"

Emma smiled and sat in front of the chestnut woman while shrugging "Well" She said as she tried to think one something else than Regina "Is M going to come after her shift on her cousin's kitchen?"

Aurora nodded quickly and smiled "Yes, at least it was that what she told me earlier"

"Great" Emma replied drinking from her beer while Ruby grabbed her phone with a sad look on her face.

"I'm going to call Belle" She said to her friends as she stood from her seat "Give me a minute"

* * *

Tinker arrived at the place with Graham at her side. She had been planned something completely different for the night but neither Kathryin or Regina seemed to be available or at their phone's reach so she had finally made Graham interested enough to accompany her to the bar. It had been ages since she had drink something and whereas she would have preferred to be with her friends she wasn't going to waste one of the few nights in which she didn't need to worry to have Cora first thing on the morning, the woman hated her.

The blonde dancer approached the counter knowing that David was going to probably be in the night shift since she recalled how MM had complained about how she hadn't been able to see David for the last couple of days because of the night shift the man's boss had made him take. Once she managed to reach the counter she waved at her teacher, the man chuckling before approaching her.

"I should be telling you that drinking is not going to help you tomorrow in my class" The man said good-naturedly and Tinker winked at him before replying.

"You are the one serving, not me"

"Touché" David replied screaming a little over the music the DJ had just put "What do you want?"

"Mmmm… plain vodka would be too much?" Tinker replied and when David merely looked at her she laughed earnestly "Ok, put me a beer, I've come with Graham and I don't want him to worry neither"

"The rest of the group couldn't make it?" David asked conversationally and Tinker nodded quickly as she extracted her purse.

"Yes, Kathryin and Regina were unreachable and MM…" She trailed off, the relationship between her teacher and Mary Margaret wasn't a secret so she wasn't going to be the one telling one of the best teachers in Cora's that her girlfriend was a little bit of a bore more times than not.

"I know she have been busy" David said with a comprehensive look on her face "I will tell her you have said hello if you want"

Tinker smiled without saying anything and turned trying to spot Graham between the mass. Suddenly she found herself looking at a blonde who looked very similar to a particular one she had once met in that bar.

"Emma" She muttered while frowning, she had never been good with people's faces but the woman appeared to be the one Regina had met and who she was now instructing.

Spurred by her reckless self she approached the woman who was talking with two brunettes, if that woman was really the infamous Emma she was going to discover it. Maybe even be sure that the woman didn't really recognize Regina as Regina had claimed to be the case after their last class with Cora.

* * *

Emma was happily drinking while Ruby smiled softly at her phone looking just as if everything between Belle and her had been fixed when she felt someone's hand touching her shoulder for the briefest moments.

Turning she discovered a petite blonde woman looking intently at her while nursing a bottle of beer. The woman didn't seem to be drunk so Emma smiled, believing that the woman should have mistaken her for someone else but when the petite blonde kept looking at her she frowned and cleared her throat eliciting both of his friends look at the mysterious woman.

* * *

Tinker looked at the womanin front of her carefully, she couldn't be sure but the woman certainly appeared to be Emma although the memories of that night were more than fuzzy. She recalled that Regina had described the woman's eyes as spectacular and the green shade she could see from where she was standing was quite beautiful, also the stance in which the blonde was seated accentuated her strong arms and shoulder muscles, the woman looked like she worked out and that fitted with the boxer part.

Deciding that it was best to simply ask she smiled at the three women who were now looking at her curiously and nodded.

"Are you Emma?"

* * *

Emma blinked for a second as the blonde in front of her asked her name like she the most normal thing in the world. Biting her lips she looked at Ruby who shrugged before turning back to the woman.

"Yes, I am, and you are?"

The blonde smiled cheerfully and sat next to Aurora without any invitation.

"Tinker, I'm a friend of Regina"

Emma swallowed as she tried to look behind the blonde, wondering if her instructor was also here.

"No, she isn't here, I'm alone tonight" The other blonde said with a laugh that attracted Aurora's and Ruby's attention.

"Oh, I remember you" Aurora commented, her right hand extended at Tinker and screaming as best as she could over the music with her soft voice "Lily something right? I went to Cora's a few years back"

"I prefer Tinker" The blonde replied softly as she looked at the chestnut colored woman in front of her. She didn't remember her but something about her seemed slightly familiar.

"I'm Aurora" The smiling woman said after she realized that Tinker truly didn't remember her.

"Ruby here" The other brunette replied still looking at her with curiosity.

"Perfect" Tinker said as she drank "When I saw you I wasn't sure if you were truly that Emma"

"And how you knew that I was "that Emma"?" Emma asked curiously, Tinker seemed to be harmless enough but the way she carried herself made her slightly uncomfortable. Ruby snorted at her but didn't say anything when Emma glanced at her and neither did Aurora even after she and Ruby exchanged a few glances.

"It looks like you aren't the one talking nonstop about the other" Ruby commented making Tinker laugh at that while looking at Emma.

"Yes, that's one of the reasons" Tinker admitted while winking at Ruby making the brunette snicker at Emma's blush.

"Don't be stupid Swan" Emma reminded herself "She probably hadn't talk about you like that"

"But I wanted to know if it's true you didn't recognize her" Tinker continued with a smirk growing on her lips as Emma's eyes opened in confusion. "I see that's true"

"Recognize her?" Emma asked "I've never seen her before"

Tinker hummed and stood, knowing that if Grahams hadn't gone he would be starting to get worried about her.

"Yes, you did but I'm not going to make your homework" She said as she walked away "Hope to see you sometimes at Cora's"

And with that the dancer was swallowed by the mass leaving a very dumbfounded Emma behind her.


End file.
